Hogs cast doubt on Big 12′s strength

Through the first six weeks of this college basketball season, Oklahoma was a Top-5 team, Texas a Top-10 team, and the Big 12′s case for being included among the best four conferences in the nation was riding steadily along on the success of those two teams, along with rebuilding reigning national champion Kansas.

It took one freshman-heavy team, picked to finish last in the SEC West, to beat both UT and OU one week apart.

While Arkansas’ 96-88 win over Oklahoma and 67-61 victory over Texas certainly say a lot about the Razorbacks’ underrating, It also makes us re-examine the Big 12′s strength at the top, which has trickle-down effects on everyone.

Though it’s a bit early to dwell on RPI figures, there’s a good bit of data already factored in, so let’s see where things stand.

Through Wednesday’s games, the Big 12 is ranked as the fifth-strongest conference in the nation, just ahead of the Mountain West and the struggling (Arkansas notwithstanding) SEC.

Three teams sit in the RPI Top 50: Oklahoma (14-1, 11), Texas (11-3, 22) and Oklahoma State (11-3, 29).

The drop from there is all the way to 90 (Kansas State) and 93 (Texas Tech), while Nebraska, Iowa State and ghastly Colorado sit outside the Top 100.

Things don’t get any more secure for those fifty-something teams when you examine their individual results.

Texas A&M is 0-0 against the RPI Top 50 going into conference play, with their lone loss to #81 Tulsa. Their best win is over mercurial #54 Arizona

Mizzou is 1-2 vs. Top 50, burying Cal but losing to Xavier and Illinois.

Baylor is 1-1 vs. Top 50, beating Arizona State but losing to unbeaten Wake Forest. They also lost at home to #102 South Carolina.

Kansas is 4-1 vs. Top 50, beating Washington, Temple, Siena and Tennessee, though half those teams aren’t likely to still be in the Top 50 a month from now. KU’s losses are to #10 Syracuse, #54 Arizona and #170 UMass.

Oklahoma State sits higher on the strength of wins against #43 Rhode Island and #45 Siena, but those numbers will drop during conference play, especially for Siena. Their losses are all to Top 30 teams: Gonzaga, Washington and Michigan State.